there are different flavors all come down to science. commercial tomatoes have been scientifically bred to be inexpensive, easy to ship and avail scrabble all year round. nothing wrong with that says this tomato researcher. >> it's an economical crop. part of the reason is the farmer wants maximum yield out of his field. so we have a lot to thank the industry for for developing these. and nobody at that point expected it would have anything to do with the flavor of the fruit when they are ripened. >> reporter: at her lab, powell discovered hybrid commercial tomatoes no longer carry one gene found in heir looms. without it they produce less sugar. in our instant test one off the shelf tomato had just half the sugar. >> 5.5. >> reporter: of the heir loom tomato. sue fwar is only one reason that heirlooms may taste better. >> it smells so good. >> reporter: where and how they are grown counts for a lot. >> tomatoes you get at the supermarket, they look perfect. this one doesn't look perfect. >> to me it looks perfect. >> reporter: these gar